


sunrise, sunset

by alsodeaddianemoss



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, First Bartlet Campaign, a lil hometown love, gratuitous fitzgerald references, i'm sorry i take american lit classes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:22:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24518377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alsodeaddianemoss/pseuds/alsodeaddianemoss
Summary: "seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers, blossoming even as we gaze." -fiddler on the roofjust some good old-fashioned bartlet for america set in california, of course.
Relationships: Josh Lyman/Donna Moss
Comments: 4
Kudos: 50





	sunrise, sunset

**Author's Note:**

> hello friends! well, it's definitely been a while. first of all, thank you thank you thank you for all the nice comments and kudos on stargazing and playing favorites! i've been sitting on a bunch of ideas for a while, but this one sort of came out of the blue to me last night while i was working on my american lit final, so yes, i do reference fitzgerald (sorry kids) and one of his cLaSsic tRoPeS i covered in many essays. also! it's supposed to be set in the canyons in between the valley and the city in la--my grandparents used to live up there (back when i lived there lol) and i can safely say that the sunsets, albeit smoggy, are breathtaking. enjoy!

“Josh! Be careful!”

“Donna, it’s a hill, I can’t crawl up it.” Josh grumbled as their tiny rental car zipped through another switchback. They had been in Los Angeles for two days—a little treat for a state the staff knew they could count on—and everyone seemed to be at wit’s end.

Except Donna.

It had officially been two weeks since she had come back to the campaign, and God, he had missed her so much. But even now that she was back, Donna seemed a little more gun shy. They didn’t banter, and she stuck to CJ or Margaret whenever she could. It was almost like she was only waiting for him to lay into her about leaving.

He wouldn’t, of course.

It had been two painful days of hundred-degree days and traffic and what Josh would assume was characteristic of a normal boss-assistant relationship. He could tell Donna’s ankle was still bugging her, but Josh knew she’d rather drop dead than admit it.

“Josh.” Donna’s whine interrupted his thoughts. “Where are we going? Aren’t people going to be looking for us?”

“It’ll be fine. You’ll see.” he replied quickly, and sent up a silent prayer that Sam was covering for him, like they had previously discussed.

“Josh!”

“Donna!” he leaned over to meet her gaze, but could tell there was something new behind her eyes— _fear?_

_Jesus, what had happened in Wisconsin?_

“It’s okay. Sam’s got it covered. Seriously.” Donna nodded slowly, and turned to face the window.

“You could at least drive slower. I don’t want falling to my death to be the big surprise.” Donna muttered, and grabbed hold of the handle on the roof of the car.

“We should be almost there.”

The rest of the ride is in silence, a blur of mansions, palm trees and hairpin turns. As a tiny gesture, Josh drops his speed by 5 miles per hour. Donna smiles. Once they’re on the top of the canyon, Josh finds a vista and pulls over, the granite crunching under the tires.

“What are we doing?”

“Come on, get out. We can sit on the roof.” Donna looked down at her ankle. “I’ll help you up.” Five minutes later, they’re watching the sun go down over the valley, and it’s a doozy. The sky is really showing up for them tonight—it’s filled with pink and yellow and the softest of oranges, with tinges of lavender on the edges.

“It’s the smog.” Donna finally said, breaking the silence.

“What?”

“The pollution. That’s why the sunset looks like that.”

“This one is pretty spectacular. Even though it’s destroying the ozone layer.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it.” Donna said wistfully, and they both stared off into the distance for a while.

“You know I’m not mad at you, right?” Josh blurted out.

“Why would I—”

“For leaving. I’m not mad that you left. I’m just glad that you’re back.” he can feel her shift away from him. “I missed you. A lot. And my office was falling apart too. But I mainly just missed you.” He turned to meet her eyes, and for a second, they only stared at each other.

For the first time, Josh thinks that maybe he should just lean in and kiss her.

In the light, Donna looks golden. And in that moment he knows that she is his Golden Girl—the answer to all his problems, the beacon on the horizon. He’s read enough Fitzgerald to connect the rest.

He’s toast.

“I missed you too. And I’m sorry I left.” Donna said quietly.

“You don’t have to be sorry.”

“I do, okay? I was _stupid_ , I thought it was going to be different and…” she trailed off, emotion in her voice.

“Donna.”

“What?”

For a second, he thinks about saying something. Of doing something.

Then he sees Donna—about to cry, and convinced that she’s ruined this too. God, he would do anything to go back to Wisconsin and kick Dr. Freeride’s ass.

But he doesn’t do that. He simply wraps an arm around Donna, and pulls her closer to him. She leans her head on his shoulder, just like they’ve always done. Like they always will do.

He pretends not to see the tear slip down her face.

“Are we good now?” Josh whispers.

“Yes, Joshua. Now I’m driving us back, because I don’t have a death wish.” she replies, and slides off the roof and into the driver's seat. Josh can’t wipe the grin off his face.

And when thirty minutes later, they’re bickering about which freeway to take while being honked at for driving at the speed of a senior citizen, neither of them mind.

Because it’s a new day, and they’re right back where they should be.


End file.
